1. 164 Flow Solitude WX with NXT FX's (07/0).
Conditions: Crunchy icy man made snow mixed with natural snow, brisk but slightly overcast with hints of sunshine.
Stance: 22 wide 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: 06/07 Vans Fargo Boas size 11 with 100 plus days on them.
One word description: Fun
This board is straight up fun, you can haul on it and rail a carve like no other. The carbon fiber X's that make up the Whiskey X construction allow for ultimate pop in the tail, yet provide lots of stability under foot. This board held an edge like no other and was amazing. Seriously blew my mind. Also super light. The bindings were phenomenal, my boots are shot and kind of loose but the bindings compensated like no other. You get awesome stability in these, the ease of Flows as usual, and the ability to drive. If anything I found edge initiation easier on these bindings than my 390's, and have to say probably one of the best bindings I've been on so far.
2. Atomic Rapture 157 (07/08) with Rome 390's (06 - 07)
Stance 22.5 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: End of the day sunshine going down, pushed snow, icy, windy, temps dropping.
One word description: Mediocre
The new shape of this board makes it semi overlap the Alibi in my opinion. Also the introduction of the Nomex in the core has severely reduced its weight, but made the flex almost unpredictable, as it is a softer material. Edge to edge this board is fast and butterable, but knowing that nomex honeycomb is crap I'd be afraid this board would blow apart. Had decent pop, but this board is far from what the rapture of yore was, the Axum and pivot would be better choices since they are on the same chassis.
3. 163 Salomon Burner with SPX 45's (07/08)
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: Flat light, mid morning, sun was starting to peak through the clouds. Rollers and push mounds galore.
One word description: Springy
This board for being a super free ride board was kind of sad, I felt it was way to soft. The best way to describe it is springy. At high speeds I could feel some vibrations under foot, but the ERA tech in it definitely distributes pressure outwards towards the edge. The edge hold was ok but its sidewall is poop in my opinion.
4. 157 Lib tech Jaime Lynn (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: End of the day flat light in spots, shadows, sun setting, windy, icy, harder push mounds, lumpy snow.
One word description: Old school
So since everyone claims I'm on crack with my interpretation of this board I took it out again. I'll say it again this board is relatively soft and butterable. Its ok edge to edge and you can noticeably tell the difference between the sidewall to the cap. All in all it’s like riding a board from 10 years ago. I wasn't overly impressed hence why you don't see my recommendations of this board all that much. It’s got decent pop but nothing spectacular. I think the JL name sells it more than the ride.
5. 161 K2 Believer with Formula bindings (07/08)
Stance: 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
conditions: Early morning, firm but softening up, with corduroy still available
One word description: Interesting
First thing you notice with this board is the rubber style top sheet with about 1038484848 different sayings on it. After that you'll realize this board is built to be a BC POW killer for lighter weight guys. Weighing in at 170ish lbs. I'm more the average person that will ride it. Edge to edge it was great but seemed washy in the heel. After talking with the rep we realized he set me a bit heel heavy. So to be fair I did take it out again in a different size. But for a 161 I could have annihilated it in the pipe with this thing. Very poppy has a great sweet spot.
6. 157 K2 Believer (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo boas
Conditions: Sunny bluebird day, soft snow, 2 inches of fresh.
One word description: gnar
After figuring out that the ride on the 161 had skewed my view of this board I brought my gripper grips to kill on it. First things first the edge to edge was perfect. I was getting a bit burly popping FS 1's off rollers and landing on edge. What I noticed with me was that at my weight I would land more on my nose coming down and go right into a carve from pushing in the nose. Not a bad thing, just this board is a bit softer in the nose/tail than what I'd like. Popping was great and you can really rail a carve on it. Switch is easy and the side cut isn't crazy aggressive. I hit a natural QP and this thing did have boostability like I thought. Definitely a board that you can ride anywhere.
7. 162 K2 Podium (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Sunny, slightly choppy, soft slushy snow, kind of windy and cold
One word description: Fast
This board does have a 1mm taper and a 3/4ths set back but the sidecut is set back so you ride it centered even though you have a longer nose. This board is for charging and laying carves, wicked fun I have to say. No chatter in it and there's an amazing sweet spot in the tail for popping, its right where the Carbon Kevlar fibers overlap the torsion forks which creates for boost city. It reminded me a lot of popping on the jibpan which has to be one of the best boards for loading up the tail and popping I've ever been on in my life. It’s definitely the free ride elite board of the K2 line up.
8. 162 K2 Eldorado (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Sunny, bluebird, windy, firmer push piles and rollers.
One word Description: Busted
This board has an easier to initiate sweet spot in the tail than the podium, but its not as good as absorbing the impact of dropping on ice. I felt a few of my impacts on this board, even though it’s got that integrated topsheet with the riser/ dampening. The nose did get the chattery butterfly effect at speeds. Edge to edge it was great and held well as long as I wasn't pointing it. I'd say its just a hair past midstiff.
9. 165 Unity Pride Wide (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Early morning sunshine, bluebird, and beautiful.
One word description: Slug
I can ride a big wide board with no problems. This thing was a slug, slow edge-to-edge initiations, sluggish flex, and just all around it was like a slug that just keeps trudging along. Pop was mediocre; flex was a bit more than the eldorado but still nothing to rave about. All in all it didn't ride really damp and I felt a lot of vibrations. I think the construction of this mixed with the Carbon fiber wrap just made this board the lame.
10. 155 Flow Era with NXT AT's (07/08)
Stance 22.5 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Very early morning, sun just peaking the mountain, bluebird, fresh corduroy with rollers
One Word Description: Slayer
Flow has to be doing something right, this board was amazing. It had the right amount of mid flex for a park stick, but a lighter weight. It puts my Hatchet to shame, and makes me question my TR. Load the tail up and pop, yet roll into the landing easily. Switch was amazing on this, perfectly fine, control was great, and flex was brilliant. Bindings are ok, not as great as the NXT FX's but these are noticeably softer and jibbier. Once again I will state that I felt I initiated flows on edge a lot quicker than traditional straps. Buttering with this board is amazing and throwing every variation of butter and spin to butter and butter to spin was easy. Flow has a great 350-dollar park slayer here that easily competes with others in that category.
Conditions: Crunchy icy man made snow mixed with natural snow, brisk but slightly overcast with hints of sunshine.
Stance: 22 wide 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: 06/07 Vans Fargo Boas size 11 with 100 plus days on them.
One word description: Fun
This board is straight up fun, you can haul on it and rail a carve like no other. The carbon fiber X's that make up the Whiskey X construction allow for ultimate pop in the tail, yet provide lots of stability under foot. This board held an edge like no other and was amazing. Seriously blew my mind. Also super light. The bindings were phenomenal, my boots are shot and kind of loose but the bindings compensated like no other. You get awesome stability in these, the ease of Flows as usual, and the ability to drive. If anything I found edge initiation easier on these bindings than my 390's, and have to say probably one of the best bindings I've been on so far.
2. Atomic Rapture 157 (07/08) with Rome 390's (06 - 07)
Stance 22.5 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: End of the day sunshine going down, pushed snow, icy, windy, temps dropping.
One word description: Mediocre
The new shape of this board makes it semi overlap the Alibi in my opinion. Also the introduction of the Nomex in the core has severely reduced its weight, but made the flex almost unpredictable, as it is a softer material. Edge to edge this board is fast and butterable, but knowing that nomex honeycomb is crap I'd be afraid this board would blow apart. Had decent pop, but this board is far from what the rapture of yore was, the Axum and pivot would be better choices since they are on the same chassis.
3. 163 Salomon Burner with SPX 45's (07/08)
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: Flat light, mid morning, sun was starting to peak through the clouds. Rollers and push mounds galore.
One word description: Springy
This board for being a super free ride board was kind of sad, I felt it was way to soft. The best way to describe it is springy. At high speeds I could feel some vibrations under foot, but the ERA tech in it definitely distributes pressure outwards towards the edge. The edge hold was ok but its sidewall is poop in my opinion.
4. 157 Lib tech Jaime Lynn (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
Conditions: End of the day flat light in spots, shadows, sun setting, windy, icy, harder push mounds, lumpy snow.
One word description: Old school
So since everyone claims I'm on crack with my interpretation of this board I took it out again. I'll say it again this board is relatively soft and butterable. Its ok edge to edge and you can noticeably tell the difference between the sidewall to the cap. All in all it’s like riding a board from 10 years ago. I wasn't overly impressed hence why you don't see my recommendations of this board all that much. It’s got decent pop but nothing spectacular. I think the JL name sells it more than the ride.
5. 161 K2 Believer with Formula bindings (07/08)
Stance: 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas size 11
conditions: Early morning, firm but softening up, with corduroy still available
One word description: Interesting
First thing you notice with this board is the rubber style top sheet with about 1038484848 different sayings on it. After that you'll realize this board is built to be a BC POW killer for lighter weight guys. Weighing in at 170ish lbs. I'm more the average person that will ride it. Edge to edge it was great but seemed washy in the heel. After talking with the rep we realized he set me a bit heel heavy. So to be fair I did take it out again in a different size. But for a 161 I could have annihilated it in the pipe with this thing. Very poppy has a great sweet spot.
6. 157 K2 Believer (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo boas
Conditions: Sunny bluebird day, soft snow, 2 inches of fresh.
One word description: gnar
After figuring out that the ride on the 161 had skewed my view of this board I brought my gripper grips to kill on it. First things first the edge to edge was perfect. I was getting a bit burly popping FS 1's off rollers and landing on edge. What I noticed with me was that at my weight I would land more on my nose coming down and go right into a carve from pushing in the nose. Not a bad thing, just this board is a bit softer in the nose/tail than what I'd like. Popping was great and you can really rail a carve on it. Switch is easy and the side cut isn't crazy aggressive. I hit a natural QP and this thing did have boostability like I thought. Definitely a board that you can ride anywhere.
7. 162 K2 Podium (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 Goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Sunny, slightly choppy, soft slushy snow, kind of windy and cold
One word description: Fast
This board does have a 1mm taper and a 3/4ths set back but the sidecut is set back so you ride it centered even though you have a longer nose. This board is for charging and laying carves, wicked fun I have to say. No chatter in it and there's an amazing sweet spot in the tail for popping, its right where the Carbon Kevlar fibers overlap the torsion forks which creates for boost city. It reminded me a lot of popping on the jibpan which has to be one of the best boards for loading up the tail and popping I've ever been on in my life. It’s definitely the free ride elite board of the K2 line up.
8. 162 K2 Eldorado (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Sunny, bluebird, windy, firmer push piles and rollers.
One word Description: Busted
This board has an easier to initiate sweet spot in the tail than the podium, but its not as good as absorbing the impact of dropping on ice. I felt a few of my impacts on this board, even though it’s got that integrated topsheet with the riser/ dampening. The nose did get the chattery butterfly effect at speeds. Edge to edge it was great and held well as long as I wasn't pointing it. I'd say its just a hair past midstiff.
9. 165 Unity Pride Wide (07/08) with Rome 390's
Stance 22 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Early morning sunshine, bluebird, and beautiful.
One word description: Slug
I can ride a big wide board with no problems. This thing was a slug, slow edge-to-edge initiations, sluggish flex, and just all around it was like a slug that just keeps trudging along. Pop was mediocre; flex was a bit more than the eldorado but still nothing to rave about. All in all it didn't ride really damp and I felt a lot of vibrations. I think the construction of this mixed with the Carbon fiber wrap just made this board the lame.
10. 155 Flow Era with NXT AT's (07/08)
Stance 22.5 18 negative 15 goofy
Boots: Vans Fargo Boas
Conditions: Very early morning, sun just peaking the mountain, bluebird, fresh corduroy with rollers
One Word Description: Slayer
Flow has to be doing something right, this board was amazing. It had the right amount of mid flex for a park stick, but a lighter weight. It puts my Hatchet to shame, and makes me question my TR. Load the tail up and pop, yet roll into the landing easily. Switch was amazing on this, perfectly fine, control was great, and flex was brilliant. Bindings are ok, not as great as the NXT FX's but these are noticeably softer and jibbier. Once again I will state that I felt I initiated flows on edge a lot quicker than traditional straps. Buttering with this board is amazing and throwing every variation of butter and spin to butter and butter to spin was easy. Flow has a great 350-dollar park slayer here that easily competes with others in that category.
